CRP Targeting for Wildlife Habitat: A New Indicator Using the 1992 National Resources Inventory

Congress has wrestled with the issue of which land should be enrolled in a renewal of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), considering that benefits to wildlife from CRP are substantial. This paper evaluates the amount of land that may qualify for CRP enrollment in order to provide high-value wildlife habitat and to present the potential enrollment costs. The assessment is based on a wildlife habitat indicator developed from the National Resources Inventory conducted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.